5 Opportunities You're Probably Missing on LinkedIn
Sure you are accepting connections,
but are you really getting value on LinkedIn? Make sure you are taking advantage in these five
proactive ways.
LinkedIn has become a regular part of business
life. But other than prospecting or recruiting, you may not be getting
real value from this expansive resource. Only about 16 percent of the
people who are signed up use the premium service. And many profiles sit with
minimal or outdated information.
LinkedIn
is not a toy or even a social network. It
is a tool for
you to grow yourself and your network. Even if you are not selling something or
searching for employees, there are wonderful ways to use LinkedIn to grow
your mind, your network and your business
objectives. But you have to proactively take the steps to get the
value.
Here are 5 ways to do it.
1. Make
yourself a desirable target. So many people put minimal information on
their profile. I understand that not everyone is comfortable for
self-promotion. But your profile should reflect not only your experience, but
also your interests and your personality. The more detailed information you
provide, the easier it is for people looking for someone like you will recognize
you as someone worthy of their time. Make sure your profile is
complete and shows attention to detail. If your picture, descriptions and
activities are attractive and compelling, then other attractive people will be
compelled to connect with you as well.
2.
Build a peer group. Groups are useful, however many people involved in groups
are either just quiet observers or rambling conversation hogs. Control
the conversation.
Build and manage your own peer group that is information based. It sounds
intimidating if you aren't a prolific writer, but here is how you do it. Create
a list of 10 questions you wish you could answer in order to advance your
mission. Form a group and send invites including those topics to others in your
industry. Tell them you'll be covering these topics and ask them for input as
well. This way people will join you on a meaningful journey and keep the
discussions valuable.
3. Relate
in a personal way. I hate when I connect with someone and they immediately
start pitching me. In fact I generally mark their message as spam and
disconnect right away. Just because LinkedIn is a networking site, doesn't mean
that you have instant rapport with someone. Build personal relationships slowly
and with intention. If you want to truly connect with powerful people, read
their profiles carefully. Go to their websites. Learn about them and find
some common ground for a meaningful conversation. Figure out how you can share
reciprocal value. The most valuable relationships--online or
otherwise--don't happen overnight and are worth the time and effort.
4.
Broaden your knowledge. LinkedIn is not just a tool for getting to
know people; it's an incredible learning tool as well. I spent 25 years
as a mortgage originator. I reviewed thousands of financial packages and
learned much about how people spend both their money and their time. I
was able to see trends and gain an understanding of how people prioritize.
LinkedIn doesn't have the financial info, but it is a massive treasure trove of
data on how people manage their work, careers and industry. Whether you
want to drill down by exploring 20 profiles of Marketing VPs or find out about
the longevity of petrochemical specialists, the data is there and easily
searchable. An hour a week exploring profiles and group discussions
outside your purview will make you much more adept at seeing opportunities
beyond your field.
5.
Learn the tools. LinkedIn changes it up more than any other social media
network. New features pop up and old ones go away. You may or may not find the
value in premium services, but there are plenty of tools for free that are
worthy of exploration. But tools won't work by themselves. I love that
LinkedIn spends millions of dollars to keep finding ways for you to do business
better. Don't take this goldmine for granted. Show some appreciation by exploring their offering and providing feedback on the tools that you find most and
least valuable. It takes some effort to stay on top of which ones are worth
your while, but if you do, you'll be making better use of what it has to offer
than 90% of the other users.
BY Kevin Daum
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/5-opportunities-youre-probably-missing-on-linkedin.html?cid=em01016week09d
No comments:
Post a Comment